First Love
by Alexz Recoro
Summary: A collection of fluffy one-shots. Some connected, some not. Mostly Naruto/Hinata and Shikamaru/Ino my two favorite couples , but others as well.
1. Happy Birthday: Naruto & Hinata

First Love

Author: Alexz Recoro

Summary: A collection of fluffy one-shots. Some connected, some not. Mostly Naruto/Hinata and Shikamaru/Ino (my two favorite couples), but others as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters.

Feedback: Please read and review. Suggestions are welcome, but I won't write for a couple if I don't think I can do a good and reasonable job, so don't get mad if you don't see your favorite couple.

1. HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Naruto/Hinata)

Hinata eyed the huge tree in front of her. Tree walking was genin level training, but it was also the best way to increase her chakra other than water walking. But she didn't fell like doing any training near water today, it was to cold and the hot springs were way to crowded because of the lousy weather, she'd never get anything done there.

So it was tree walking today. It was Hinata's day off, and she wanted to do chakra training, because her specially developed technique required precise control, which required that she train with it constantly, and she also needed to expand her chakra reserves. But the young jonin was still eyeing the tree nervously. Hinata wasn't scared of heights exactly; she could leap through the tree tops with the best of them, as long as she didn't look down. But she was wary of heights, and preferred to avoid them if possible. Finally, Hinata tied her long hair back, took a deep breath and started to walk slowly up the tree and then back down.

After ten trips, Hinata was getting tired. By the fourteenth trip, Hinata was struggling to continue pushing out chakra. At the end of her twentieth trip up, Hinata stepped out on a branch and sat down with her back against the tree trunk, resting briefly. It was December, only ten days before Hinata's eighteenth birthday, and yet it hadn't yet snowed. Hinata was kind of hoping it would snow before her birthday; she loved snow on her birthday.

She was also kind of hoping that Naruto would be back from his mission in time for her birthday. Because he had three years of experience working with Jiraiya's spy network, Tsunade liked using Naruto for any mission involving Konoha's spy network; in fact, he was the best they had. As a result, he was almost always away on some mission, usually solo, but sometimes he went with an ANBU team or another jonin.

Naruto had been gone for three weeks on a solo mission and Hinata was worried about him. He wasn't exactly late, and Tsunade wasn't visibly worried yet, but Naruto had never been gone this long on any one mission before. . .

"Hey! Hinata-chan!" The unexpected sound of Naruto's voice, of _any_ voice, caused Hinata to jerk suddenly and lose her balance. With a startled yelp, she started to fall. She tried to grab the branch with her hand but missed, and couldn't gather enough chakra to stop herself on the tree trunk

"Hinata-chan!" Naruto yelled. Hinata spotted a flash of black and yellow out of the corner of her eye, then she impacted with something, but it wasn't the ground.

It was Naruto. He had leapt up _to_ her, bouncing off tree trunks to get high enough to catch her before her falling body gathered enough speed to kill her if she hit anything, including him. His arms wrapped around her, one under her knees and one across her back. Hinata slid one arm around his neck and gripped his jacket with her other hand. She curled against him, hiding her face in his jacket and his eyes went wide.

When she curled up against him it was like something went 'click' deep inside his heart. He had reacted instinctively when he saw her fall, calling on the Kyuubi to increase his speed and shoot upward, bouncing off trees to _get up there and get her!_ He couldn't understand the sudden fear that had stopped his heart, turned his stomach to ice and made his mouth go dry the instant she was in danger. He'd been in danger before, had seen teammates and friends in danger; hell, they were all ninjas, it was part of the job.

But he had never felt this kind of terror before, this mind numbing, panic inducing terror. He had never experienced the kind of terror that jabbered at him to '_move, move your ass, get up there, get to her NOW'_! Until he saw Hinata fall and suddenly his entire world threatened to fall apart right in front of him. Not Hinata, _his_ Hinata, the first person he saw after he returned from a mission, always, unless she was on a mission of her own. Hinata, who had danced with him on top of the river under the moonlight for his eighteenth birthday. She had blushed wildly the whole time, but she had done it, for _him_, because _he_ had asked her to.

Naruto moved before he was aware of it, arms reaching out to grab her and cradle her close. His heart did a back flip when Hinata slid her arm around his neck and gripped his jacket with her other hand. Then she turned her face into his chest and Naruto could only smile as he used his chakra to slow their descent and landed gently on the ground.

Hinata was motionless in his arms, but he could feel her panicked breathing and he bent his head over her, touching his forehead to the top of her head.

"Hinata-chan, are you okay?" He asked. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you, I'm so sorry, please tell me your okay!"  
"I'm okay Naruto-kun." Hinata finally whispered, tilting her head back slightly, so that Naruto's forehead was now pressed against hers.

They stayed like that for a few moments. Their eyes locked, hers the lightest of lavender, and his, the purest of blue. Naruto set her feet on the ground, then pulled her into a huge hug, brushing his lips across her forehead.

"You sure?" He whispered, his lips still pressed against her skin. She nodded, then rested her head against his chest.  
"What about you?" Hinata asked, pulling back just a little and looking up at him. "Are you okay?"  
"Of course I'm okay Hinata-chan. Why do you ask?"

"I missed you Naruto-kun." She admitted, blushing slightly. Naruto chuckled and cupped Hinata's cheek with one hand. His hand was bare, and was cold against her skin.  
"You did, huh?" He asked.  
"You were gone for a long time, that's all."  
"Yeah." Naruto sighed. "Sorry about that." Then he winked at her. "But I got something for you."

"For me?" Hinata blinked at him.  
"Yeah, Hinata-chan, for you. I have to leave again really early tomorrow, and I don't know when I'll be back, but I know that your birthday is in a few days so . . ." Naruto reached into an inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small, nicely wrapped box. "Happy birthday Hinata-chan."

"Oh Naruto-kun, thank you." Hinata took the box from Naruto.  
"Open it." Naruto urged, bouncing from one foot to the other. "Come on Hinata-chan, open it! I wanna see what you think!" He was so excited, so eager to please her, that Hinata giggled and quickly ripped off the blue wrapping paper. Then she opened the small box and gasped when she saw what was inside.

"Oh, Naruto-kun . . ." With a slightly shaking hand, Hinata lifted the necklace out of the box and stared at it. It was a beautiful sunburst, delicately and expertly carved out of a single piece of yellow and orange crystal.  
"Look at the back." Naruto whispered, still smiling at her. Hinata turned the necklace over, and blinked. The kanji for 'precious' was set in silver on the back.

"You're one of my precious people Hinata-chan. I want you to always remember that. That necklace is proof of that." Naruto reached out and gently took the necklace from her, then stepped behind her. He swept her hair over one shoulder, then gently untied her hitai-ate from around her neck and replaced it with the necklace.

"There." He said proudly. He stepped back around to stand in front of her. "Happy birthday Hinata-chan." He repeated, handing her the hitai-ate.  
"Thank you Naruto-kun." Hinata finally managed to say. "It's beautiful; I love it. Thank you."  
"You're welcome Hinata-chan." Naruto brushed his fingertips across her cheek and chin, giving her a smile and a playful wink. Then he yawned, wide enough that his jaw popped.

"Whoa." Naruto said in surprise, rubbing at his jaw. "That was weird."  
"Naruto-kun, go get some sleep." Hinata urged, one hand unconsciously reaching up to touch the necklace around her throat. "You're exhausted, and didn't you say you needed to get up early tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Naruto rubbed a fist across his eyes, and Hinata smiled at how cute he looked, like a sleepy little boy. "I've got to meet a source that's a little skittish about hidden villages, but I might be able to get him incorporated into our spy network." He yawned again. "But I have to leave at the crack of dawn to get to the meeting place."  
"Go, then." Hinata said teasingly. Naruto mock-pouted at her.  
"Aw, I thought you missed me Hinata-chan."

Hinata giggled at him. "I did miss you Naruto-kun. But you're about to fall asleep right here and now. You need to go home and sleep."  
"Oh all right." Naruto pretended to pout for a few moments, then laughed. "Walk with me? You know, so I don't fall asleep on the sidewalk?" He extended a hand to her and looked so hopeful that Hinata couldn't say no.

"Alright Naruto-kun." Hinata stuck her hitai-ate in her jacket pocket and took Naruto's outstretched hand. He smiled at the feeling of her tiny hand in his, and they walked back to the village together.

The trip back to Naruto's apartment was silent, yet both of them were comfortable. Well, _Hinata_ was comfortable with the silence; Naruto was suffering from sleep depravation. He stumbled on the steps leading up to his apartment, and Hinata had to help him. But he was able to open the door by himself and give Hinata a tired smile.

"Thanks Hinata-chan. I'll see you when I get back, okay?"  
"Okay Naruto-kun. Go get some sleep."  
"I'm going, I'm going you big bully. Bye."  
"Goodbye."

Naruto shut the door and Hinata smiled as she walked back down the stairs to the ground floor, pulling her hitai-ate out of her pocket as she went. She couldn't put it back around her neck; it would cover her new necklace. So after a few moments of thought, Hinata tied her hitai-ate around her forehead and went home for dinner.

The next morning, Hinata was standing at the village gate when Naruto arrived, ready to go.

"Hinata-chan? What's up?" He asked. Hinata smiled.  
"I just wanted to say goodbye Naruto-kun. The next time you see me, I'll be eighteen."  
"Right." Naruto tilted his head and studied her, then grinned. "Hey, you're wearing your hitai-ate on your forehead!"

Hinata blushed at his attention and nodded. "I didn't want to cover up the necklace you gave me."  
"I like it. You look confident and strong." Naruto said. He touched his own hitai-ate self consciously, and then seemed to think of something, because his trademark 'foxy' grin spread across his face. Hinata blushed even more as he stepped close, so close that she could feel his body heat and smell the smoky, woodsy scent of his skin. She kept her eyes down, away from his face.

Naruto laughed softly when he saw her face go red and her refusal to look him in the eye.  
"Hinata-chan." He whispered, touching her chin and gently, yet insistently, forced her head back so that she was staring up at him.  
"Relax Hinata-chan." Naruto whispered. "I've got one more birthday present for you."

Naruto reached up and removed Hinata's hitai-ate. Then he framed her face with his hands and bent his head down, pressing his lips against her forehead.  
"Precious." Naruto whispered, his lips touching and moving across her skin. "You are precious to me." Then he kissed her forehead, as if sealing the words into her skin, and replaced her hitai-ate around her forehead. "Happy birthday Hinata-chan." He whispered. Then he stepped back, out of her personal space.

"I'll see you when I get back Hinata-chan. Bye." He waved as he turned to go. Hinata finally unfroze her throat.  
"Naruto-kun . . . wait . . ." She hadn't spoken any louder than a whisper, yet Naruto heard her. He stopped, and turned back to her.  
"Yeah Hinata-chan?" He tilted his head inquisitively, his eyes wide and caring. Fighting her body's instinctive urge to turn and run, Hinata slowly approached Naruto.

"Naruto-kun . . ." She whispered, so close to him that she had to tilt her head back to see his face. Then impulsively, she threw her arms around his neck, quite a feat when Naruto was more than a foot taller than her. Naruto stumbled back a few steps, yet recovered enough to wrap his arms around her waist. Hinata hid her face against his shoulder.

"Hinata-chan?"  
"Just be safe Naruto-kun, please. Be safe, okay?"  
"I will." Naruto said soothingly, rubbing circles on Hinata's back. "I promise, I'll be safe. Okay Hinata-chan?"

"Okay Naruto-kun." Hinata pulled her face back from his shoulder, yet didn't remove her arms from around his neck, and he didn't loosen his grip on her waist. She blushed when she realized how close their faces were. Naruto chuckled and let Hinata's feet touch the ground. Hinata let go of his neck, and let her hands rest on his chest.  
"You okay now Hinata-chan?" Naruto asked gently.  
"Yes." Hinata took a deep breath and tried to get her heart to slow down and stop trying to break her ribs.

Taking another deep breath, Hinata went up on her toes and kissed Naruto on the corner of his mouth.  
"I love you Naruto-kun." She whispered. Naruto's eyes went wide and he turned his head so that his lips were millimeters from hers.  
"Hinata-chan . . ."  
"Shh, Naruto-kun." Hinata insisted. "We'll talk when you get back, okay?"

"Okay." Naruto closed the distance between them to touch his lips to her lightly and briefly. Then he pulled away from her firmly, and waved before rushing through the gate and leaping up into the tree tops.

**Next Chapter:** Shikamaru and Ino: Ino cares for Shikamaru after he uncharacteristically picks a fight with an older jonin, and the two friends make some dicoveries while Shikamaru's barriers are down.


	2. Stop Thinking: Shikamaru & Ino

2. STOP THINKING (Shikamaru/Ino)

"You're an idiot."  
"I know."  
"He could have killed you."  
"I know."  
"You're lucky he _didn't_ kill you."  
"I know."  
"He's been a jonin for five years, since he was fifteen. _You've_ only been a jonin for two years . . ."

"I _know_ Ino!" Shikamaru burst out, and instantly regretted it. _Damn,_ his head hurt.  
"Don't yell." Ino scolded. "You'll aggravate your ribs." She put a bandage on a cut above his eye.  
"I noticed." Shikamaru grimaced, holding his ribs.  
"And your jaw is going to swell." Ino informed him. Shikamaru just grunted, and closed his eyes as he took stock of his injuries.

The burn on his left shin was small and itched. Not really painful, but irritating. The slash on his right hip had been stitched by Ino, and his chest felt like one huge bruise. At least three ribs were broken. One side of his jaw was staring to swell and stiffen, and his nose was broken. Blood was still trickling from it. Shikamaru couldn't see out of his left eye, and there was a bleeding cut above his right eye, as well as a cut on his forehead, and a nasty one on his left temple. He had also broken three fingers on his right hand, including re-breaking the one he had broken on his first chunin mission. Ino had been furious about that.

_"Damn it Shikamaru-kun! You idiot!"_ She had screamed at him as she realined the three fingers. _"This is the _third_ time! If you break that finger again, I'm going to _break it off_!"_ She had also refused to use any healing jutsu's on him unless she had to, claiming that if he was stupid enough to pick a fight with an older and more experienced jonin, he wasn't worthy of her wasting chakra on him when she had training with Tsunade-sensei later today.

Ino _had_, however, bandaged his burn, stitched up his hip, and cleaned and bandaged the cuts on his face.

"Shikamaru-kun, tilt your head back." Ino instructed. Her hands framed his face and he jumped at the sound of her voice and the touch of her hands. He opened his eyes, and blinked when he realized that Ino was straddling his legs, yet not putting any weight on him.  
"You're nose is still bleeding." She said gently. Shikamaru could tell by the look on her face that she felt badly about yelling at him.

Shikamaru blinked slowly at her, having trouble understanding her though the haze that seemed to blanket his mind, and Ino gasped when she looked into his deep, dark, stoic brown eyes for the first time that day.  
"Shikamaru-kun, I need you to lie down."  
"What?"  
"Shika-kun, your pupils are unevenly dilated. Are you nauseous or dizzy?"

"A little." Shikamaru closed his eyes again, but Ino gently slapped his cheeks, causing him to open his eyes with an annoyed growl.  
"Stop that." She scolded mildly. "You have a mild concussion. I need you to stay awake for a little bit, okay Shika-kun?"  
"Fine." Shikamaru muttered. His head hurt, and he wanted to sleep _now_, but Ino was using her medic-nin voice, which she only used when it was important. Shikamaru may love his sleep, but he wasn't stupid, he knew to follow Ino's instructions about medical issues. Plus, she had started using 'Shika-kun', the nickname she had given him when they were babies, only toddlers, and her baby tongue couldn't fully pronounce 'Shikamaru'.

"Good. Now Shika-kun, this is important; did you loose conscious during the fight?"  
"Yes." Shikamaru rubbed at his stiffening jaw. "After he knocked me down by kicking me in the jaw and then started kicking me in the ribs to _keep_ me down, I passed out for a few minutes."  
"Okay." Ino climbed off of his lap, and then pulled on his arm until he stood up. She slung his arm over her shoulder, and led him to his bed, with Shikamaru stumbling along beside her.

Ino helped him lie down, biting her lip when she jostled his ribs and the eighteen year old jonin ground loudly.

"Oh God, Shikamaru-kun, I'm sorry." Ino said. She reached up and tenderly released his hair from its normal up-do. She had taken care of a sick Shikamaru since they were kids, and she knew that the only time he liked his hair loose was when he had a headache.

She ran her fingers through his hair gently trying to sooth him. She couldn't heal his concussion; brain injuries were an area most medic-nins stayed away from, it was too delicate. Most mild concussions were usually allowed to heal by themselves, but she could fix his ribs. She was feeling guilty about refusing to do it earlier, but, damn it, he made her so mad! Picking a fight with an older jonin! He was such an idiot.

She focused, formed the hand signals, and activated the healing jutsu that caused her hands to glow green and would allow her chakra to move through Shikamaru's skin and heal his bones. As soon as her left hand was glowing properly, she rested it on his rib cage and moved it slowly over his ribs. Shikamaru grunted and opened his eyes.  
"Sorry, did I hurt you?" Ino asked, her eyes and mind focused on his ribs.  
"No." Shikamaru closed his eyes. "It feels nice. Warm."

"That means its working." Ino lifted her eyes briefly to smile at him, even though he wasn't looking at her.  
"It feels nice." Shikamaru repeated sleepily. "Thanks Ino-chan."  
"You're welcome. Now, shh. You should sleep now. It's okay." She looked down at her hand, but suddenly felt his eyes on her. She could always tell when Shikamaru was looking at her; his eyes were so piercing and intense that she could practically feel his skin tingling when he looked at her.

Ino lifted her eyes to his face, and was shocked by the look in his eyes. She had never seen that look on his face before in all the years she had known him.  
"Shika-kun?" She whispered.  
"I don't want to go to sleep Ino-chan." Shikamaru whispered back.

He pushed himself up onto his elbows, noticing idly that his ribs didn't hurt anymore. Ino's hand slid off to the side and the glow disappeared as she lost her concentration while staring into Shikamaru's dark eyes.  
"Why?" She managed to ask quietly. Shikamaru kept his eyes on hers as he answered.  
"Because you're here with me." He raised one hand and brushed her hair back. "You have beautiful eyes Ino-chan."

Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was saying. _'Shut up, shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!' _He brain was sending the order, but his mouth either wasn't receiving the order, or was ignoring it, because HE WAS STILL TALKING!

"Why did you heal my rib Ino-chan?" He asked, leaning even closer to her as his brain screamed in frustration because his body had also stopped obeying orders. The concussion must have either flipped a switch somewhere, or had just caused his normal barriers to crumble.  
"Because I felt bad for not doing it before." Ino whispered, still unable to break away from his gaze. "I'm sorry about that Shika-kun. I was just mad at you."

"Why were you mad at me? I've gotten in fights before." Shikamaru's brain gave up giving orders that weren't being followed and started sulking instead as Shikamaru sat up all the way and rested a hand on Ino's hip. She jumped slightly at the contact, but didn't pull away. Instead, she shifted closer to him.  
"You scared me." She admitted. "I've never seen you like that Shika-kun. You picked a fight with an older, more experienced jonin, and then you _lost_ because you were angry. You _never _get mad during a fight Shika-kun."

She framed his face with her hands, and felt his dark stubble scratch at her palms; Shikamaru was to lazy to shave everyday.  
"What happened to you Shika-kun? Why did you want to fight him so bad that you couldn't see straight?" She asked gently. Shikamaru opened his mouth to answer, and his brain came out of its sulk to throw a tantrum. _'What are you _doing?! Shut up_ you _idiot_! We were _never_ going to tell her, remember?'_ But Shikamaru's mouth continued to move, ignoring the order, and his brain gave up. _'Note to self: concussions are troublesome. Take care to avoid in future.'_

"You." Shikamaru told her seriously. "The fight was about you Ino-chan."  
"Me?" Ino blinked quickly a few times. "_Me?_"  
"Yes, Ino-chan, you." Shikamaru's hands came up to rest on her neck, his fingers lacing behind her neck. "I heard that _ass_ talking about you to his friend. They both thought you were hot, but his friend said that you were to fiery, to independent and spirited for his tastes. Then the ass. . ."

"His name is Talame." Ino interrupted. "I've taught his little sister, Narome-chan."  
"Oh. Well, _Talame_ said that all you needed was a firm hand. He said, 'just give me some rope, a day or two and somewhere where no one would hear her scream and I'll teach her her place'." Shikamaru clenched his jaw. "And I just . . . I just snapped Ino-chan. I'm sorry if I scared you, but just the _idea_ of someone even _thinking_ or _joking_ or _talking_ about hurting you just made my blood boil . . ."

"Oh, Shika-kun . . ." Ino started, but was silenced by Shikamaru's finger on her lips.  
"Shh, Ino-chan." He said firmly. "I'm not finished. Ino-chan, I've known you all our lives, and I _like_ you spirit, your inner fire, your independence. They're a part of your personality. The thought that someone thought they were _bad_ things is inconceivable to me. The idea of someone wanting to kill that inner fire, wanting to break your spirit, was simply terrifying." Shikamaru pulled Ino into a hug, hiding his face in her long blonde hair. "I'm sorry if I scared you Ino-chan." He sighed into her hair, ruffling it and tickling Ino's neck. "Truthfully, I scared myself a little. I've _never_ lost control like that."

"It's all right Shika-kun." Ino told him, hugging him back and resting her chin on his shoulder so that her cheek brushed his, his stubble prickling her skin. Ino had never told him, but she had always loved Shikamaru's stubble ever since he had started growing it. "You were protecting me, just like you've always protected my body when I've used my jutsu. You're a good guy Shikamaru-kun, and my oldest friend." She pulled back to smile at him, and noticed how tired he looked. Despite his protests, the concussion was sapping his strength.

"Shika-kun, you're exhausted. Go to sleep." She insisted gently. She kissed his forehead and applied pressure to his shoulders. Shikamaru didn't resist, and lay down, yawning.  
"Are you going to stay?" He asked, yawning again.  
"Yeah, I have to."  
"Huh?" His eyes were closed, but his brow was furrowed in confusion. Ino smiled and ran her fingers over his forehead, smoothing away the wrinkles.

"Shika-kun, you have a concussion. I have to wake you up every hour." Ino explained.  
"Oh. For how long?" Shikamaru snuggled deeper under his blanket and Ino smiled. Trust Shikamaru to carry on a conversation while falling asleep.  
"Just until your pupils go back to normal." She assured him, pulling the blanket up over him. "Go to sleep now."

"Okay." And with that, Shikamaru fell asleep. Ino smiled down at him for a few moments, and played with a few strands of his silky black hair before leaving Shikamaru's side to go study some medic-nin scrolls.

She kept a close eye on the clock, and after an hour, she set aside a scroll on healing compound fractures and went to wake up Shikamaru.  
"Shikamaru-kun? Come on Shika-kun, you need to wake up." She shook his shoulder, but Shikamaru rolled onto his other side, his back to her. Ino rolled her eyes; waking Shikamaru up was a time-consuming task. She pulled on Shikamaru's shoulder, and rolled him onto his back and pinned him there by straddling his chest, and shaking his shoulders.

"Shikamaru! _Wake up_!" Ino yelled. Shikamaru growled and tried to turn over, only to be stopped by Ino's weight on his chest, which caused him to growl again. Ino giggled; she couldn't help it. It was so cute, the way he growled like a sleepy puppy that someone was trying to move. Secretly though, she preferred his more serious growl, the deeper one that belonged in dark places and serious situations; the one that always made her stomach flutter nervously and sent chills up her spine.

It was her laughter that did the trick; Shikamaru's dark eyes opened, closed briefly, then opened wide to stare at Ino, still perched on his chest.  
"Ino-chan . . ." He blinked rapidly and Ino had to smile.  
"I love your eyes." Ino told him, and Shikamaru's eyes went as wide as one of his families deer caught in a beam of light.

"Ino-chan . . . what?" Evidently, his brain-to-mouth connection had not yet recovered, because his brain started to laugh hysterically. _'Smooth move ninja-boy. Now, _SHUT UP_, before you sound even more like an idiot.'_

Yet Shikamaru still opened his mouth again. "Ino-chan, _why_ are you sitting on me?"  
"It was the only way to wake you up."  
"And you needed to wake me up _why_ again?"  
"To check your pupils." She informed him.

"Oh, right." Shikamaru studied her through hooded eyes and Ino sighed in frustration.  
"Shikamaru, that's not helping! You need to open your eyes so I can see your pupils."  
"Hmm. I have to better idea." Shikamaru growled. _'Stop it! Shut up! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!'_ Shikamaru's brain was about to short circuit, so Shikamaru ignored it. Instead, Shikamaru brought up his hands, wrapped them around her hips, and in one smooth move, flipped both of them over. Ino squealed once in surprise, then suddenly found herself unable to breathe.

But it had _nothing_ to do with the fact that Shikamaru was laying on top of her and _everything_ to do with the fact that his face was nose to nose with hers, his dark, serious eyes wide open and locked on hers.  
"Shika-kun . . ." She whispered.  
"Shh, Ino-chan." Shikamaru said. "How are my pupils?"  
"Uh. . ." Ino couldn't think, much less talk, with Shikamaru's face that close to hers, and she had a sneaking suspicion that Shikamaru _knew_ that.

"Well, come on Ino-chan." Shikamaru teased quietly. She was the only one he teased, the only one who ever teased her in fact. "What do my pupils look like Ino-chan?"  
"Shika-kun . . ." Ino's voice trailed off. She was having a hard time forming a coherent thought with Shikamaru lying on top of her, his dark eyes locked on hers. Shikamaru seemed to know that; he started smirking.  
"What's the matter Ino-chan? Having problems concentrating?" Shikamaru leaned down and rested his nose in the junction of her neck and shoulder. Now that he wasn't looking at her, Ino started collecting her thoughts, only to have them scatter again when she felt his warm breath on her neck.

"Shika-kun . . ." She sighed.  
Shikamaru chuckled, the sound sending shivers down Ino's spine, and moved his mouth up to Ino's ear.  
"Hmm, it seems I've finally found a way to get you to stop scolding me." He whispered, his warm breath against her ear, making her gasp. Shikamaru chuckled again. "I think I like this discovery." Ino's brain completely shut down as something soft and warm was suddenly pressed against her jaw and she realized '_Shikamaru is kissing me!'_

That realization seemed enough to restart her brain.

"Shikamaru-kun, wait, stop." She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. Shikamaru growled and resisted for a moment, then relaxed and pushed himself up so that he was above Ino.  
"Ino-chan, stop thinking." He ordered gruffly.  
"Shikamaru-kun, I need to see your eyes, it's important. Look at me."

Shikamaru growled, yet pulled back because Ino was using her medic-nin voice again. He only pulled back far enough to rest his forehead against hers, so that his dark eyes were only centimeters from her blue ones.  
"Shikamaru . . ." She said warningly, dropping the 'kun' entirely. And though he couldn't see it, Shikamaru knew Ino well enough to know that her hand was twitching with an urge to smack him upside the head. The only thing stopping her was the fact that she had diagnosed him with a concussion just an hour ago.

"Your pupils are fine, Shika-kun." She nuzzled his cheek. "Now, what were you saying?" Shikamaru grinned and turned his head so that he was once again face to face with Ino.  
"I believe I told you to stop thinking." He whispered.  
"Hmm, that sounds like a very good idea." Ino whispered back, her grin matching his. Shikamaru laughed quietly, then closed the gap between their lips, kissing her for the first time.

And when her fingers tangled in his hair and she kissed him back, both of them were quite happy to stop thinking.

AN: Yeah for me! Second one-shot! Shikamaru/Ino are one of my favorite couples! If you have a favorite couple, just tell me in a review. But be warned, if I don't think I can do a good job with a couple, I won't do it. Suggestions are welcome, but they might not happen. Just letting you know.

Next Chapter: Lee/Sakura: Lee is gravely injured while protecting Sakura during a mission. What will this do to Sakura's feelings for the exthusiastic older ninja?


	3. Flowers For A Hero: Lee & Sakura

3. FLOWERS FOR A HERO (Lee/Sakura)

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?"

The voice snapped Sakura out of her inner musings and she jerked in surprise, her eyes focusing on the source of the voice. It was her teammate, friend and unofficial big brother, Uzumaki Naruto.  
"Huh?" Sakura shook her head, bringing her mind better in focus. "Sorry Naruto-kun, I must have zoned out for a minute. Did you say something?"

The nineteen year old jonin raised his eyebrows at his childhood crush.  
"Are you okay?" He repeated, trying not to shift his body to much or speak to loudly. He had a badly broken arm, a burn on the side of his face, which had already blistered and started to heal, and a chakra-deplete Hinata with a wrenched knee fast asleep on his lap.

The S-ranked mission the trio had just returned from had required fourteen jonin's. Naruto, Hinata and Sakura, who had some cracked ribs, a broken nose and a badly sprained anklet, were the least injured of the team.

Neji had taken a fire jutsu to his left side that had completely burned away all the skin on his arm, and had damaged his left eye. He might lose his arm and eye. Kiba had a fractured skull, and a possibly broken neck, while his faithful canine partner, Akamaru, had been burned while guarding his fallen friend. Shino had a crushed hip and deep, severe lacerations on his chest and neck.

Tenten had almost single-handedly defend Neji after he had collapsed, finally collapsing herself with severe lacerations on her back. Shikamaru had gone down with a broken jaw and a very serious head wound that was still bleeding heavily when they arrived at the hospital. Ino had a crushed wrist and a broken shoulder, plus numerous burns on her neck, arm and chest. Choji had been thrown against a rock with enough force to break his back, and also had burns on both legs.

Sasuke had suffered a deep laceration across his stomach that had nearly disemboweled him. He also had a broken arm and some burns on his back. Gaara, who had brought the mission to Tsunade's attention and accompanied them with Temari, had not escaped injury either. He had a broken arm, several broken ribs, a deep cut down the left side of his face, and chakra depletion. Temari had also been injured, with a severe laceration on her back from left shoulder to her right hip.

But Lee had been the most severely injured. One of the enemy ninja's had had a weapons scroll much like Tenten's, and had unleashed it at Sakura, who had been protecting an unconscious Temari and unable to move. Lee had leapt in between them and the weapons, and Sakura had watched in horror as hundreds of kunai knifes and shuriken buried themselves in his neck, arms, legs and back, while hundreds more sliced his skin as they flew past him. Some of the ones in his back punctured his lungs, causing his left one to collapse. His right one held, but had began to fill with blood. Sakura closed her eyes against the tears as she remembered what happened.

_"Lee!" Sakura screamed, scrambling toward him. God, he was bleeding from everywhere, arms, legs the sides of his neck. The kunai and shuriken that weren't embedded in his body had sliced his skin to ribbons. Naruto and Hinata took out the last of the enemy ninjas, then Hinata collapsed from chakra depletion. Naruto caught her with his good arm, and hauled both of them over to Lee as fast as he could. _

_Lee started to fall, his knees buckling. Sakura caught him. His weight bore her to the ground, but she was able to cradle his upper body in her arms. They ended up with Sakura flat on her butt, with an unconscious Lee sprawled across her lap.  
__"Naruto, help me get these weapons out of him and turn him over!" Sakura yelled frantically. Naruto very gently set Hinata down on the grass, then helped Sakura pull all of the kunai and shuriken out of his body and turn him over onto his back._

_Lee struggled into consciousness and smiled up at Sakura.  
__"Sakura-chan." He whispered, blood bubbling up between his lips.  
__"Shh, Lee-kun, don't talk." She insisted, covering his lips with her fingers.  
__"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Lee asked persistently. Sakura nodded. _

_"Yes, I'm okay Lee-kun." She said, tears filling her eyes. "Now, please, be still and quiet. You have blood trickling into your lung. You need to save your strength, okay?"_

_Lee nodded and tried to smile, but it failed as he slipped once again into blissful unconsciousness.  
__"Naruto, help me wrap his arms, neck and legs." Sakura ordered. Naruto jumped to obey, digging through Sakura's backpack and through Hinata's hip pouches for bandages and ointment.  
__"Can't you heal him Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, applying ointment and wrapping bandages like Hinata had taught him._

_"I'm doing what I can." Sakura said through gritted teeth. Naruto suddenly noticed the sweat on her forehead and the green glow of his chakra filled hands. "But I haven't got much chakra left, and his injuries are very bad." _

"Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan, Naruto-kun." Tsunade came into the room, jerking Sakura out of her thoughts. Tsunade was smiling gently at Naruto as she moved Hinata out of his lap and held her. Naruto got to his feet stiffly, grimacing as he jostled his broken arm. Holding his breath and gritting his teeth, Naruto gathered up his arm and cradled it against his chest.

"Come on Sakura-chan, you two." Tsunade ordered. Sakura blinked at her, a little dazed.  
"Huh?"  
"Come on Sakura-chan." Naruto offered her the shoulder of his uninjured arm. "Tsunade baa-chan got us a room to rest in instead of here."  
"A room?" Sakura asked as she gripped the offered shoulder and pulled herself up, keeping her weight off her injured shoulder.

"Yes, Sakura-chan, a room. You know, with beds and everything." Naruto looked at her. "Are you _sure_ you're okay Sakura-chan? You seem kind of . . . out of it."  
"I'm tired Naruto-kun, that's all." She wrapped her arm around his and rested her head on his shoulder.  
"Sakura-chan, Lee-san will be okay." Naruto said quietly. He gently kissed the top of her head, and Sakura smiled at the show of brotherly affection. She squeezed his arm in thanks.

Tsunade lead them to an empty hospital room with three beds, knowing that they would want to stay together. She laid an exhausted Hinata on one of the beds and shook her head when Naruto hopped up beside her and gave Tsunade a cheeky smile. Tsunade rolled her eyes at his cheek, but as Sakura settled herself on one of the other beds, she smiled and healed Naruto's arm, leaving his burn alone for the Kyuubi to heal.

"Are you sure you're alright Sakura-chan?" Tsunade asked her apprentice as she healed Sakura's ankle and ribs.  
"Tired." Sakura mumbled, struggling to keep her eyes open.  
"And worried about Lee-kun." Naruto teased gently from where he was sprawled out next to Hinata.  
"Shut it." Sakura muttered, her eyes closing. She heard Naruto chuckle as he settled down next to Hinata. As tired as she was, Sakura smiled; they were so cute!

Naruto and Hinata had been inseparable these last couple of months. They seemed to have this need to constantly be touching. Yet when asked about the exact nature of their relationship, they smiled and shrugged.

The thought of Naruto and Hinata lead her to thinking about her and Lee. The immense physical strength she had gained training under Tsunade had lead her to Lee. At first, his over enthusiastic approach to his training had annoyed her. But Lee was so earnest and open and friendly that Sakura soon found herself warming up to him. Soon, she found herself spending time with him outside of training, seeking him out when she had free time, and missing him when he was on a mission.

Sakura wasn't sure when Lee had gone from a sparring and training partner, to a close friend, to maybe something more. She had no idea when her feelings had changed into . . . well whatever she was feeling Naruto must have seen her forehead crinkle in thought, because he chuckled suddenly.  
"Stop thinking Sakura-chan." He ordered sleepily. "Go to sleep. You need it."  
"All right Naruto-kun." Sakura mumbled. She snuggled down under a blanket and let sleep sweep her away.

She woke a few hours later, feeling refreshed and recharged. She sat up and stretched, looking to the other bed when she heard Hinata giggle. Naruto was stretched full length on the bed, Hinata draped across his chest, giggling at whatever he was whispering in her ear. Hinata turned to look at Sakura when she heard her stir.

"Good morning Sakura-chan." Hinata said sweetly. Naruto took advantage of the position of her head and her distraction to kiss her cheek. Hinata 'eeped' in surprise and went bright red. "Naruto-kun!" Her tone was scolding, but her actions belayed her tone when she buried her face in his chest. Sakura had to laugh; Hinata was so red, and Naruto was so proud of himself, that she couldn't help herself. Sakura's chuckles set off Naruto, which set off Hinata. When Tsunade opened the door, only to find all three laughing helplessly, she was sure they had all lost their minds.

Sakura sobered as soon as she saw Tsunade.  
"Tsunade-sensei! Is Lee-kun okay?"  
"Everyone is fine." Tsunade assured the three jonins. "Lee-kun is still asleep, and will be for a while. His blood loss was quite severe. But everyone else should be waking up soon."  
"But what about Kiba-kun's neck and Choji-san's back? And Neji nii-san?" Hinata asked.

"Don't worry Hinata-chan." Tsunade smiled. "We were able to heal everyone, with no long term damage."  
"Can I see Lee-kun?" Sakura begged.  
"Well, you might want to wash the blood off your face first . . ." Tsunade teased. Sakura's jaw dropped, her eyes went wide and she let out one of Hinata's eep's as he hands flew to her face in horror. Sure enough, she could feel caked and dried blood on her face from her broken nose and split lip.

"Oh my God!" Sakura bolted into the attached bathroom. She didn't dare look in the mirror as she filled the sink with warm water and reached for a washcloth and soap. She paused when she caught sight of her hands and bare arms. There were splashes of blood on her arms, and her hands looked like she had dipped them in red paint. She knew that only a tiny fraction of it was hers. Most of it was probably Lee's . . .

Her stomach rolled and twisted uncomfortably at the thought, so she forced it out of her mind. Mechanically, Sakura wet and soaped up the washcloth. Then she washed all the blood off her hands, arms and face. When she finished, the water held a hideous red tinge, but Sakura didn't really feel better. The fact, looking at that red tinted water reminded her of all that blood on her hands . . . Lee's blood . . .

This time, she couldn't control her stomach, and she lunged to the toilet. She barely made it. As she emptied her stomach, she heard the door open and someone crossed to her. A pair of warm hands gathered up her hair, and while one hand held it back, another rubbed her back in soothing circles. As soon as she was sure she was done, Sakura sat back and leaned back against Naruto's warm chest, feeling the material of his tee shirt on her cheek.

"How you doing?" Naruto asked quietly, giving her a hug.  
"I'm okay, now. Just a moment of nausea. It's already passed." Sakura said truthfully. Yet she made no move to get up, and neither did Naruto.  
"Lee might not wake up for a while," Naruto said after a moment. "But I'm sure that he wouldn't mind if you were the first person he saw." Sakura laughed and pulled back to kiss Naruto's lightly whiskered cheek.  
"Thank you Naruto-kun."

"No problem Sakura-chan." Naruto hauled himself to his feet, then extended a hand to Sakura. She took his hand and let him haul her to her feet. She touched his chest in thanks, then left the bathroom, and then the room, heading for the nurses station.  
"Sakura-san, how can I help you?" The nurse on duty asked with a smile.

"Can you tell me which room Rock Lee is in?"  
"Of course. He's in room 307. But he won't be awake for a while."  
"That's all right." Sakura called over her shoulder, already heading for the stairs. She instantly found 307 and went in, dragging a chair over to the side of the bed. Lee was sleeping comfortably, and, luckily, didn't seem to be in any pain.

The bandages that usually covered his knuckles had been removed, leaving his hands bare for the first time in Sakura's memory. She sat beside him, and touched his hand, running her fingertips across the scars, old and new. Some weren't even scars yet, just newly sutured wounds.

"Oh, Lee-kun." She whispered, slipping her hand under his and lacing her fingers through his. She couldn't take her eyes off the signs of his determination. Most people carried their determination inside their hearts, with no outward signs. But you couldn't miss the scars that were the proof of Lee's determination.

Lee's hand suddenly tightened around hers and he started stirring.  
"Lee-kun?" Sakura leaned closer, squeezing his hand tighter. "Are you awake?"  
"Umm." Lee moved his head toward her voice, then his eyes opened, and he blinked. "Sakura-chan, is that you?"  
"Yes." Sakura ran her free hand over his forehead and blinked away her tears. "It's me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay." Lee said. "A little sore." He lifted the hand that Sakura wasn't holding to his face and rubbed at his eyes, then pulled the hand back and looked at it curiously. "It feels a little strange to have bandages everywhere _except_ my hands." He admitted with a small laugh. "You okay Sakura-chan?"  
"I'm okay, I'm not hurt at all." She assured him. "Thanks to you."

They realized that they were holding hands at the same time. Lee released his grip on her hand and Sakura drew back, both of them blushing.  
"I'm sorry I didn't bring you any flowers this time Lee-kun." Sakura burst out.  
"That's okay Sakura-chan." Lee yawned, already getting worn out; he had lost a lot of blood. He smiled at her, then bravely reached up and brushed his fingers across her chin. "I don't need any flowers."

"But you're a hero." She protested. "My hero." She added when he started to protest. "All heroes should have flowers."  
"No, it's all right." Lee smiled and cupped her cheek. "You're the only flower I need Sakura-chan."  
"Lee-kun!" Sakura protested with a laugh, even as she leaned into his touch. "That was horrible."

"It's the truth." Lee insisted, even as they both laughed.  
"Well, you still deserve _something_." Sakura insisted.  
"Oh yeah? What?" Lee asked through a yawn, his eyelids drooping.  
"Well, since I didn't get you flowers, I'll give you this." Taking a deep breath and summoning up all her courage, Sakura leaned over Lee and kissed him.

It was a small kiss, just a firm pressing of Sakura's lips against Lee's. She pulled away before he could respond, but she was pleased with his look of surprised delight. He looked like a little boy on Christmas. She felt a swell of pride that _she_ had put that look on his face.  
"Get some sleep Lee-kun." Sakura whispered. She touched his cheek, then kissed it. "I'll come see you again soon." She crossed to the door. "Get some sleep." She repeated.

"Yeah, right." Lee said, having unfrozen his vocal cords. Sakura laughed, even more pleased with herself.  
"Well, try." She left, closing the door behind her. Lee waited a few seconds, then let out a loud whoop of delight, which just made Sakura's proud grin grow until it felt like her face would split apart.

**Next Chapter:** After some 'convincing' from Lee, Neji goes to visit an injured and upset Tenten. To his surprise, he discovers that the bond between them goes deeper than 'just teammates'.


	4. The Strongest Bond: Neji & Tenten

4. THE STRONGEST BOND (Neji/Tenten)

"Neji-kun, I'm worried about Tenten-chan."

The comment came out of nowhere, so Neji could be forgiven for his uncontrolled answer.

"Huh?"

"Tenten-chan." Lee repeated as he sat down next to his teammate on the park bench.

"What are you doing here? How did you even find me?" Neji tried to glare at his teammate, but it had less than sterling results: it didn't affect Lee at all.

Part of the reason was that both boys were heavily bundled up against the cold December weather. It's hard for even a Hyuuga to look intimidating in bulky black snow pants, clunky black snow boots, a light blue parka and a matching hat, scarf and gloves. And, of course, Lee had known Neji a long time; they had been teammates for five years. Lee had built up an immunity to Neji's 'Hyuuga glare'.

"Like I said, I'm worried about Tenten-chan. And I've known you since we were twelve; I know how to find you. Especially after Konoha's first snow fall." He gestured at the view from the bench they were sitting on; it was a calming scene, one of Neji's favorites.

"Whatever." Neji growled. "Now, what about Tenten? You're worried about her? Why?"

"She's been moping around ever since she broke her leg." Lee explained. "Especially since Tsunade-sama is gone on a diplomatic mission, and no one else can heal it completely because she also hurt the muscles."

"So?" Neji huffed, turning his ineffective glare outward. Lee sighed, and one-handedly shoved Neji off the bench and into a snow bank. Neji swore as he floundered around in the deep snow for a few minutes before finally climbing to his feet. "What the hell was that for?!" Neji yelled, brushing snow off his coat and pants.

"I'm hoping you'll be thinking a little clearer now." Lee said calmly.

"What?!"

"Tenten-chan considers you a friend, Neji-kun. She's always willing to help you out. You could at least pretend to feel _something_ for her."

"Humph."

"Knock it off Neji-kun. The cold, imperious act doesn't work, not any more. Not on me and not on Tenten-chan. I _know_ you care about her, even if _you're_ too stubborn, or stupid, to admit it, even to yourself. And she cares about you, maybe more than she wants to admit."

Lee stood up and fidgeted with his gloves, pulling them tighter. Neji was shocked to realize that he _knew_ why Lee was doing that: cold air made his scars itch, so he preferred his gloves tight.

"Tenten-chan's a little upset Neji-kun. Go see her, see if you can get her to come out of her house." Finishing up with his gloves, Lee waved and started to go.

"Why don't you do it?" Neji asked. Lee grinned.

"I tried. She threw things at me. And swore at me."

Neji winced. He had had his own experiences with Tenten's accuracy . . . and her tongue. The girl could swear the bark off a tree if you crossed her. It sounded like her forced inactivity had made her short-tempered. Lee laughed at the look on Neji's face.

"Yeah, I know." Lee left, disappearing around the bend in the park trail leading away from the bench.

Neji sighed and fidgeted with his snow boots, tightening the laces. Then he stood up, shoved his hands into his pockets and, for some reason, headed toward Tenten's house, trying to talk himself out of it the entire time. Instead, he ended up ringing the doorbell, and cursing his feet for not obeying his brain.

There were some strange thumps, then the door swung open to reveal Tenten, in an oversized sweatshirt and pants, on crutches, with her left leg incased in a cast. And her hair was loose for once, hanging down her back and framing her face.

"Neji-kun!" Tenten tucked a strand of hair behind one ear. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing." Neji answered gruffly. He shifted uneasily under her incredible stare. "Lee said you were unhappy." He added.

"I stuck in the house. What do you think?" Tenten snapped irritably.

"I want you to come into town with me." Neji said, an idea suddenly forming in his mind.

"I don't want to." Tenten said sulkily, moving to shut the door. Neji stopped it with one booted foot.

"Stop it. You're acting like a child, sulking and feeling sorry for yourself." Neji pushed the door open and slipped past a stunned Tenten. "Now come on, I need your help."

"With what?" Tenten was staring, she couldn't help it. Neji was _in her home_, asking for her help. This was _not_ a usual occurrence.

"Hinata-san's birthday is coming up. She's turning sixteen." Neji said. "Usually I just get her ninja gear, or some stuff for her medical studies, but . . ."

"Neji-kun, you can't give her that for her sixteenth birthday! A girls sixteenth birthday is important!"

"God Tenten, even _I_ know that!" Neji snapped. "That's why I need your help. I have no idea what to get her."

"Why me?"

"Because you're the only one I can ask." Neji shifted uncomfortably. "Lee's just as clueless as I am, Gai-sensei's even more so, and asking Hinata-san kind of defeats the purpose."

"You could ask Naruto-kun." Tenten suggested. "He's dating Hinata-chan."

"Don't remind me." Neji grumbled. "I respect the guy, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of him being with Hinata-san."

He glared at her when she laughed. "Are you going to help me or not? You know Hinata-san well enough to help me out, don't you?"

"Neji-kun, that's a stupid question. Hinata-chan's so sweet, I just love her."

"So you'll help me?"

"Sure." She started hobbling toward her bedroom. "Just give me a few minutes to get dressed and I'll go into town with you."

"Fine." Neji stood stiffly in the middle of the living room.

"You can sit down Neji-kun. The sofa won't bite you. And would it kill you to say thank you?"

"No." Neji growled.

"Well? I'm waiting."

"Thank you, Tenten." Neji managed to say. He felt a little better when Tenten smiled at him.

"There we go. I'll make a civilized human being out of you yet Neji-kun." She hobbled into her bedroom before he could do more than stare at her. He shook his head: he did _not_ understand women, especially Tenten.

A short amount of time later, Neji was deliberately slowing his steps in order to allow Tenten to keep up with him. She was far from stupid; she knew he was doing it, and for some indescribable reason it pissed her off.

"Stop that!" She finally snapped at him.

"Stop what?"

"Forcing yourself to walk slower so that I can keep up!"

"What, you _want_ me to leave you behind?"

"No!"

"So, you want me to stay with you?"

"No!'

"Damn it Tenten, I'm confused! Make up your mind!"

"I don't know!" Tenten wailed. Suddenly, to Neji's complete and utter horror, her eyes filled with tears and she collapsed on a nearby bench, where she buried her face in her hands and cried.

"Tenten!" Neji completely panicked, and so dropped his usual Hyuuga façade. Unsure what to do, he sat down next to her and clumsily patted her back. "Don't cry! Please?"

"On, Neji-kun!" Tenten turned toward her teammate and rested her forehead on his shoulder. She was still crying, and Neji still didn't know what to do. So he did what seemed right, and pulled her close, so that her face was buried in his shoulder as he rubbed her back.

He wasn't sure what to say, so he stayed silent as he rubbed Tenten's back and rocked her as she sobbed. He sobs finally slowed, and then stopped, but she kept her face hidden against his shoulder. Neji was still confused as to _what_ had exactly happened, so he finally spoke, quietly and gently, so as not to set off another storm of weeping.

"Tenten-chan, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing." Tenten wasn't very convincing, since her voice was muffled by Neji's chest, where she was still stubbornly hiding her face. Neji called her on it.

"It's not nothing. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing."

"Tenten-chan, you're lying to me. I've known you a long time, I can tell." He wasn't sure how to react when Tenten chuckled slightly, her face still hidden in his chest.

"We _have_ known each other a long time, haven't we?" She whispered.

"Five years." Neji confirmed.

"Yeah. Five years." Tenten finally lifted her head, but instead of pulling back, she slid her arms around his waist and cuddled up against his chest.

Neji stiffened and started to pull away, but Tenten's voice stopped him.

"No, Neji-kun, please." The tears were back in her voice, so Neji relaxed and wrapped his arms back around her. "I'm sorry." She whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

"For what?"

"For yelling at you. And for avoiding you and Lee-kun." She winced. "Poor Lee-kun. I was pretty meant to him, when he was only trying to help."

"Lee was pretty understanding when I talked to him." Neji told her. "But I'm not sure _I_ understand. Why, Tenten? This isn't like you."

"I . . . I was ashamed." She whispered, pulling away from Neji. Or rather, _trying_ to pull away from him. Neji had locked his arms around her, so she didn't get very far. She did manage to turn her back on him, but Neji just pulled her back against his chest and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Ashamed of what?" He whispered. Without really meaning to, his breath brushed up against her skin, and Tenten shivered. Suddenly, amazingly and surprisingly, Neji found that he _liked_ causing that reaction in Tenten.

"Tenten-chan, answer me. Ashamed of what?"

"I didn't want you to think of me as weak." She whispered, looking away from him.

Neji was stunned. "What? Tenten!" With his chin still resting on her shoulder, he unlocked on arm from around her waist, then reached up and cupped her chin. She jumped and shivered at his touch, and he once again felt a thrill of satisfaction that he had caused her reaction.

Gently, but insistently, he forced her to turn her head back around. When he did so, they were nose to nose, their breaths mixing and fogging in the cold winter air.

"Tenten-chan, you're _not_ weak. I would never have considered you weak, never! You're one of the strongest kunichis in the village, and you're the best weapons expert in the village, hands down."

"But my leg, and my crutches . . ."

"Tenten-chan, you were injured on a mission for Konoha. It's nothing to be ashamed of, we've all been injured. It's not a weakness, it's a hazard of the job."

"I know you're right Neji-kun." Tenten sighed and rested her forehead against Neji's. "I just feel weak is all. And I didn't want you to see that. You're so strong, all the time. I was afraid you. . ." She trailed off, biting her lip.

"What?" Neji urged gently.

"I was afraid that you would be disappointed in me."

"Tenten-chan, how could you ever think that I would be disappointed?" Neji asked, shocked. "You're one of the strongest ninja's I know! You've proved that time and again. I have never seen you back down or give up, not once. I cold never be disappointed in you, or think that you're weak. _Never_!" Neji was a little surprised at the passionate words coming out of his mouth. But the look on Tenten's face was worth letting go of his cold façade.

Her eyes were wide in surprise, two pools of deep brown he could drown in. She also had a bright, delighted smile on her face that did weird things to his heart and stomach.

"Neji-kun. . ." Tenten just grinned at him for a few seconds, then turned in his arms and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you Neji-kun. That is the sweetest thing I've ever heard." She pulled back and grinned at him.

Neji felt a small, tight knot in his chest loosen. It was her old, familiar grin; bright and happy, her eyes sparkling, with no trace of anger or tears. She looked so happy and beautiful that Neji felt his own lips involuntarily curl up into a tiny smile. He stopped as soon as he realized what he was doing and made his face blank.

Tenten frowned when he did and touched his cheek.

"Neji-kun, don't."

"What?" Neji leaned into her touch slightly.

"Don't hide your smile from me, Neji-kun, please. You can hide it from everybody else if you want, but not from me."

"Tenten . . ."

"I'm serious." Tenten locked eyes with him, and they stared at each other for a little bit.

Then, with a sad little smile, Tenten removed her hand and kissed Neji's cheek.

"I know you feel like you have to hide Neji-kun. And I know why. But you should also know that you don't have to hide from me."

"Tenten . . ." Her face was so close to his. He found himself wondering what it would be like to kiss her and swallowed. "I know Tenten-chan. But I've been closing myself off for so long . . . it's hard."

"Oh Neji-kun." Tenten hugged Neji. And Neji allowed himself to relax and hug her back. "I know it's hard. But can you try? Just around me?"

"I can try . . . for you." Neji agreed. Tenten gave him a squeeze.

"Thanks Neji-kun." She pulled back and smiled at him. "Now, let's finish shopping for Hinata-chan. I have an idea."

Neji was walking Tenten home a few hours later, very happy with the silver bracelet Tenten had helped him pick out for Hinata. He fingered a second package in his other pocket.

"Well, this is me." Tenten said with a yawn as they stopped in front of her home. She smiled at him. "Thanks for today Neji-kun. I really needed it."

"Thanks for you help."

"No problem. Hinata-chan will love that bracelet. Good night Neji-kun." She turned to go inside.

"Night." Neji watched her start to head inside, and then blurted out "I have something for you Tenten-chan."

She stopped and turned to him. "Really?"

"Yeah." Neji pulled a silver chain out of his pocket, a delicate silver ring handing from it. "This is for you Tenten-chan, to remind you that it's you that keeps me strong, so that I can strengthen you in return, in an unending circle."

"Oh, Neji . . ." Tenten was speechless as he fastened the necklace around her neck. Her hand shaking, she lifted the ring up to eye level. Engraved on the ring were five words: loyalty, team work, friendship, love. "Neji!" She gasped.

"You mean so much to me Tenten-chan. I didn't realize it until you weren't around. You're much more than my loyal teammate and friend. I love you Tenten-chan." He took the ring from her still shaking hand and pressed it over her heart. "I want you to wear this as a reminder of our bond. The strongest bond, a bond of love. And maybe . . ." he swallowed nervously. "And maybe one day you'll wear it on your finger."

"Neji-kun!" Tenten yelled, throwing her arms around his neck. Neji actually laughed a little as he hugged her back. Tenten pulled back so that she could rub his nose against his.

"You, Hyuuga Neji, are my best friend, and I love you. But, damn boy, you cannot take a hint! I've loved you since we were thirteen!"

"Sorry. But it didn't hit me until, suddenly, you weren't around."

"This broken leg may be the best thing that has ever happened to me."

A flash of humor crossed Neji's eyes. "I think I can disprove that theory." He moved fast, and suddenly, he was kissing her. Tenten kissed him back, and had to agree that being kissed by Neji was the best thing that had ever happened to her. She hoped she wouldn't have to keep breaking bones to make it a regular occurrence.

**Next Chapter:** Naruto and Hinata: Naruto is having some trouble with reacurring nightmares, and Hinata is detirmined to get to the bottom of them.


End file.
